If their gear wasn't compelling enough, the history of TenPoint Crossbows is a great story about working hard and battling through tough times.

[caption id="attachment_6610" align="aligncenter" width="220"] The story of TenPoint Crossbows proves their mettle and shows the strength it takes to build a business.[/caption] When you start talking around the coffee pot about quality crossbows the conversation invariably circles around to TenPoint Crossbows. TenPoint has earned a reputation by some of the most esteemed organizations and hunters in America as a top crossbow manufacturer. Their commitment to quality, excellence, and innovation have consistently landed their crossbows among the best of the best. Since their inception in 1995 the company has secured 31 patents and has 19 currently pending. How is that for leading the way? The truth is though, TenPoint Crossbows almost never came to be. Like most successful businesses, their rise through the muck and grime of capitalist competition wasn't easy. As with all companies, in the beginning TenPoint wasn't even a thought in the ambitious mind of a young archer from Ohio. That young archer was Rick Bednar whose parents were Hall of Fame archers operating an Ohio based archery business. At a young age Bednar was not only introduced to the sport of archery, at which he excelled, but the business side of the sport as well. At an early age Rick's entrepreneurial mind began working and just a few years after college he was leading the charge in expanding his family's business he had already purchased. Through his business dealings Bednar caught the attention of a company that would change his trajectory for years to come. By 1985 Bednar was involved with Horton Crossbows. Although crossbows were largely uncommon at the time, Bednar and Horton together realized the potential in the crossbow market and pushed hard to pave their way. By the early 1990's things were going great and Horton crossbows had become "the" name in the crossbow world. With Bednar largely calling the shots the company was operating a $4.5 million dollar a year business and employed 30 Americans everyday. You would have thought the folks operating Horton would have been on easy street and life was going well. In fact the opposite appears to be true. As the company grew, it seems a good deal of internal tension was building. With a large amount of shares in the company Bednar wanted to reinvest money back into the company to continue its growth. Other partners had different aspirations and looked to distribute the gains among themselves. Apparently the rift grew so great there was no compromising. The battle eventually led Bednar to walk away from the company and fully separate from Horton. You can imagine his experience at the time. He had invested so much time and energy into the endeavor, and now it was over. Some folks would likely just pack up the tent and close up shop. Fortunately for the crossbow world that wasn't the case for Rick Bednar. After leaving the company he was obligated to sit on the sidelines for a one year period, then he immediately got back in the archery business. This time is was leading the charge of the company that would come to be known as TenPoint Crossbows. Over the next 10 years TenPoint Crossbows would not only have to fight the odds of an upstart business in a now discovered crossbow market, but also defeat attempts from Horton to destroy the brand. Eventually the fledgling company would overcome both and become one of the most recognized names in the industry. In a twist of fate, Tenpoint would eventually even purchase its old Horton rival. How is that for a turnaround? [caption id="attachment_6611" align="alignleft" width="171"] The TenPoint Venom XTRA is their flagship crossbow.[/caption] Although secure in its position today, TenPoint Crossbows has not stopped striving to meet customer demands and recently launched the Wicked Ridge brand of crossbows. It's hard to say what the future may hold for TenPoint, but its safe to say we haven't yet seen their best crossbow. Today TenPoint offers a variety of different crossbows to choose from. Whether it is the reverse limb Carbon Nitro RDX, the affordable Titan SS, or the flagship Venom XTRA, TenPoint likely has a crossbow that will catch your eye. Give them a look and see just what they have to offer. Today TenPoint has established itself as here to stay. Not only are they producing a variety of the most regarded crossbows out there, but their founder Rick Bednar has the business experience to keep moving in the right direction. I wouldn't expect to see this acclaimed company going anywhere soon but up. NEXT: COMPANY SPOTLIGHT; OBSESSION BOWS